Tuesday, March 8, 2011

This year is now my 3rd time coming to Australia.... in a row. I love it here. At the moment it is 80 degrees outside and the water is about 78 degrees and it is absolutely bowing my mind. It was March 8th yesterday, that meaning I just turned 22 years old. I have had my birthday in Australia the past three years and I have to admit that just being here is by far one of the best birthday presents I could ask for. I come out here to not only hang out with friends but I enter into the annual Noosa Festival Of Surfing contest. People from all over the world travel here to experience this event. You should see how packed it gets here in Noosa. You can seriously drive around for an hour looking for car parks, and if the waves are pumping, and you are not an aggressive surfer.... you can catch "no" waves. The level of surfing here is through the roof. Everybody from lil grommets to old farts, literally rip the lip off of these waves. I feel as though noosa is like a book. Every page (wave) is new..... and you neeeeed to read the page to the best of your ability or you'll be catching the worst waves all day.... I was surfing last night with my good friend Harrison Roach and noticed that every wave I'd paddle for.... he wouldn't want.... and every wave he paddled for... looked like absolute nothing. Guess again.... I would turn around and see that his tiny little bump of a wave would double up and start DRILLLING down the line with perfect shape.. A lot to learn from these ozzy shredders.

My plan this trip is to stay from the 5- 25th of march. This was a very similar itinerary to my trip last year and...... those 3 weeks turned into 3 months! I called quantas airlines the night before my flight out and extended my trip another 2 1/2 more months. So, in all honesty, who really knows how long my trip will be this year. (:

The waves have been so fun since I have arrived here and I hear they are here to stay for a while. There is a swell in the making and we're supposed to have solid swell for at least the next week. The Noosa comp starts on Saturday the 12th meaning we will probably/hopefully score some pretty good waves. This year I have entered the Nose rider Trials and the Old Mal events. (Quick thanks to ICONS OF SURF as they made it possible for me to make it to Australia.)

I haven't seen a kangaroo yet but once I do... I will jump on his back and go for an intense ride!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Okay so, it was just an averagely normal night, out on the town with a few friends, kick'n back a couple brews. Our spot for the night is a local bar in dana point called Hennessys. They have great beers on tap and delicious comfort food like burgers and potatoes skins and even shepard's pie.... We decide to venture right next door to hennessys sister bar, the fish bucket. It is connected to hennessys but is more of a party room with music and dancing floor. Not really my style but drinks are 1/2 off and there are many gorgeous women flocking so why not go check it out... Order my beer (a bloody beer actually), and look over at my buddy bobby. He's dying of laughter and screams out for me to come over and "CHECK THIS OUT".

You know those arcade style machines the kids play that are filled with toys or candy or stuffed animals? Well this is the exact same thing, only instead of stuffed animals...... it s freaking holding tank filled with LIVE LOBSTERS??? Like, are you freaking kidding me? Living animals, inside a machine, where intoxicated humans pay $2 to try and scoop out a lobster. It says if you get a lobster, they will cook it right then and there for free, on the house.

Bobby looks at me and says " Kameron...... I believe in you." Just those few words got me so amped, I HAD TO TRY AT LEAST ONCE! He even kindly split the cost with me.... $2 goes in the machine... I have bobby on the side of the tank helping me guide this "CLAW OF DEATH" in the perfect spot. We picked out this one in particular lobster. It was the only one that was actually standing up on his feet. I could hear the lobster screaming out.... "EATTT ME, EATTTT ME" haHAHhahah

Long story, longer..... I lock it in place........ and times up. The claw drops down, into the water, closer and closer to the lobster it goes.....

HOLY SH*T....... I got it??!!!! DUDE I GOT IT!!! BOB WEEEEE GOTTT A LOBSTER.. The freaking machine grabbed the lobster and started bringing him up. We are so close but so far. The claw has to first off grab the lobster, then bring him upward... Up and fully out of the water and continue moving a couple feet to the drop box..... The freakin lobster didn't move a millimeter... I couldn't believe it...

We're inches from the drop box and you can hear this noise in the background getting louder and louder and LOUDER.... *kurrrPLOP* The lobster is released from the claw of death.... into the lovely "collect here" box. (:

I have never in my life, heard a bar, get that loud..... EVERYONE was freaking out screaming and yelling! The bartenders were tripping out asking me how the hell did I manage to get that freakin animal out of there? "I've seen people spend $100 on this machine and never, have I seen someone get one?"

I grabbed the little 'bug' of an animal, and literally walk over to the kitchen and drop the LIVE LOBSTER in the food window...